City gets extension for lighted street signs

The city commission passed a resolution to extend a cooperative agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation related to the installation of illuminated signs.

A city commission agenda report shows the city has been hampered in its efforts to install the signs because of delays from the manufacturer and the resignation of about half of the city's Facility Maintenance Department.

Assistant City Manager Matt McNeile said the facility maintenance department is small and two employees recently left, which made a significant impact.

City Utilities Director Brian Cesar said the city has two cooperative agreements with the department of transportation and only one of them is being delayed.

Documents show 29 signs were ordered in August but aren't expected to arrive before the end of November.

The time extension will hopefully allow the city to restaff the facility maintenance department and get the signs installed without jeopardizing NMDOT funding. An amendment to the cooperative agreement puts the project completion date at the end of June of next year. If the project is not completed by that date, the agreement will automatically terminate and the city must refund NMDOT any "unexpended" funds, records show.

The city is planning on installing 65 LED-powered street signs through a cooperative agreement with the department of transportation. The city will provide "in-kind" services by installing the signs.

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The two cooperative agreements are worth about $129,000 combined and the signs cost about $1,600 a piece.

One of the LED signs is currently hanging at the intersection of Indian Wells Boulevard and North Florida Avenue. The city also has ordered a special platform truck worth about $95,000 to help with installation.